Fantasy sports: Picking up Chris Colabello may provide boost

Saturday

Apr 12, 2014 at 5:02 PMApr 12, 2014 at 5:24 PM

By Josh Bousquet TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

I like to think that I do at least a fair job writing this column. Contrary to how it may look sometimes, I do put some work into it, but I never imagined that I would feel I neglected my preparation by not scouring Worcester Tornadoes box scores.

The Can-Am League featured more former major league players than ones with legitimate future dreams of the big show, but one of the hottest fantasy pickups over the past week was former Tornado Chris Colabello.

Playing baseball at Assumption isn't the typical starting place for fantasy baseball stardom, but Colabello may be poised to finish that journey. He entered the Twins' weekend series with the Royals second in the American League with 11 RBIs and having earned the season's inaugural American League Player of the Week accolade.

Colabello also entered the Kansas City series after going 1 for 13 in three games against the A's. That started to put a cap on his fantasy rise, but as of Friday morning, Colabello had still gone from barely noticed to owned in over a quarter of ESPN fantasy leagues.

There is an undeniable urge to see this turn into a local-boy-done-good story. I am so wary of how such feelings prejudice an owner that I rarely draft a Red Sox player, figuring I do not see him as he truly is. I do own Dustin Pedroia this season, but I figure he has proven himself by this point.

Colabello, however, is the type of player you want to pick up early in the season. There are minimal expectations for him to live up to, but he is someone who is getting an unexpected level of playing time. Sometimes that is all one needs to gain value.

Playing time is all Colabello has ever needed to prove his worth (see chart). He is already 30 and has only played in the minors for two years, so he wasn't brought in as a prospect on the fast track to the majors. He hit in Double-A New Britain, though, and then hit well enough in Triple-A Rochester to become International League MVP and force Minnesota to bring him up to the majors.

That call to the big show last season is the only place where Colabello did not hit in his career. It was a small 55-game sample, though, and it did include a two-homer, five-RBI game where he flashed what he could do. (Yes, things that happen against the Astros do still count.)

Now this season Colabello already has games where he has recorded six and four RBIs. The outings against the A's are enough to give an owner pause, but the Milford native need only have another good game or two this month to remove that hesitation.

Sliding into first?

Colabello shared his Player of the Week award with the Angels' Josh Hamilton. Hopefully it isn't the bad omen for Colabello that it was for Hamilton.

The award was announced on Monday. On Tuesday, Hamilton tore a ligament in his thumb with a headfirst slide into first base. Wednesday saw him land on the disabled list, and he is expected to be out for up to two months.

That added Hamilton's name to the list of potential impact fantasy players now on the DL. That number seems high to me for so early in the season, but it could just be that half of them are on my team.

I suppose it goes to show the unpredictable nature of the fantasy game. There are good and bad surprises. But seriously, I even have Will Middlebrooks in the hopes of a bounce-back season.

A strained calf? Really?

Year of the Opener?

I'm not sure what the opposite of the term 'Year of the Closer' would be, but whatever it is, we are stuck in it.

After a tempestuous first week at the position, another saves gatherer fell Thursday when A's manager Bob Melvin decided that Jim Johnson's 0-2 start with an 18.90 ERA wasn't cutting the mustard.

(And isn't mustard really easy to cut? Or does it refer to the actual seed that I imagine would be more difficult to slice.)

The initial plan in Oakland is take the committee approach with Dan Otero, Ryan Cook, Luke Gregorson and Sean Doolittle all in line for some end-of-game opportunities. None of those names sound like you need to make a quick move until the A's drop the committee approach.

If you need to fill Johnson's spot on your roster, though, the Yankees' Shawn Kelley could still be available, and he looks to get save opportunities as long as David Robertson remains on the disabled list.

Yeah, add his name to the bad injury surprises, too. As Chris Isaak once said on a beach, what a wicked game.